03.10.2023
2 min read
Last week at Storyhouse, we were delighted to premiere ‘Wanna Dance?’ – a series of film shorts that capture movement explorations from our Wanna Dance? programme, which creates 1:1 dancing opportunities with people with Profound Intellectual & Multiple Disabilities (PIMD).
The Wanna Dance? Programme is a 12-month Artist in Residency that sees artists from Cheshire Dance work with people with PIMD on a 1:1 basis at Vivo Care Choices to explore how they might like to dance. Central to the programme is ensuring IF the participants would like to dance and if so, how that dance might be. We respond to each person’s unique movements, noticing verbal and non-verbal signals to ensure we really have their consent.
The film has been created with dancers with PIMD from Vivo Care Choices alongside Dance Artists Jane McLean (Cheshire Dance) and Ruth Spencer (UCLanDance), filmmaker Sam Ryley (Canteen Create) and composer Gary Lloyd. The Wanna Dance? film is a celebration of dancing together, exploring communication and connection beyond words through dance with touch, sensory objects and music.
We have been delighted with the response to the work with the film being described as joyous, emotional and powerful by those who attended the premiere last Wednesday. A particular highlight for both the audience and the Cheshire Dance team was witnessing the reactions of the dancers to seeing themselves on screen; it was truly moving and reminds us of the importance of bringing dance into the lives of everyone.
We now invite you to view Wanna Dance? (see below) and to share this short film with your networks, colleagues and friends. We very much welcome feedback and opinions so do let us know what you think.
